FDA EUA Letter
Authorized Use

The FDA has authorized the emergency use of PAXLOVID for the treatment of adults and children [12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kg)] with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, under an EUA.

PAXLOVID is still being studied. There is limited information about the safety and effectiveness of PAXLOVID.

Important Safety Information
Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents, and Caregivers HOJA INFORMATIVA PARA PACIENTES, PADRES Y CUIDADORES FICHE D’INFORMATION POUR LES PATIENTS, LES PARENTS ET LES SOIGNANTS FOLHETO INFORMATIVO PARA DOENTES, PAIS E PRESTADORES DE CUIDADOS صحيفة الحقائق للمرضى واآلباء ومقدمي الرعاية FACT SHEET FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
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Important Safety Information Telehealth Resources Healthcare Professionals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to make PAXLOVID available during the COVID-19 pandemic. PAXLOVID is not an FDA-approved medicine in the United States.

PAXLOVID

Who can take PAXLOVID?

As much as we all wish COVID-19 were a thing of the past, it’s not. It’s still very much here and making some people very sick, especially people who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.

If you are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19 and have symptoms or test positive, talk to your healthcare professional to confirm you have COVID-19 and see if PAXLOVID is right for you. PAXLOVID is an authorized oral prescription medication that can treat:

adults and children (12 years or older and 88 pounds [40 kg] or heavier), who

have had mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms for 5 days or fewer, and

have a high-risk factor for progression to severe COVID-19, such as being 50 years or older or having certain health conditions and/or lifestyle factors.

PAXLOVID is authorized for emergency use

  • PAXLOVID has not been approved, but has been authorized for emergency use by the FDA under an EUA, for adults and children [12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kg)] with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death; and
  • The emergency use of PAXLOVID is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner.

PAXLOVID is not approved to prevent COVID-19, treat severe or critical COVID-19, or to be used for more than 5 days. There are certain medications that should not be taken with PAXLOVID.

It’s estimated that more than half of American adults have at least one risk factor for progression to severe COVID-19. You could be one of them.

Some of the most common risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 include:

  • Age of 50+ years
  • Certain health conditions and diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Mental health conditions
  • Lifestyle factors, such as smoking
  • Physical, mental, and developmental disabilities

Not sure if you’re at high risk?

See more risk factors

Not sure if you’re at high risk?

See more risk factors

Some of the most common risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 include:

  • Age of 50+ years
  • Certain health conditions and diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Mental health conditions
  • Lifestyle factors, such as smoking
  • Physical, mental, and developmental disabilities

Want to learn more about PAXLOVID?

PAXLOVID is a 5-day oral prescription treatment for COVID-19.

Learn more about how to take PAXLOVID

A trial compared the risk of COVID-19–related hospitalization or death in people treated with PAXLOVID vs placebo.

Learn about the PAXLOVID clinical trial

It’s important to understand the risks and possible side effects of PAXLOVID before starting treatment.

See safety and possible side effects

Be prepared for COVID-19.

If you’re at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, it’s important to be ready to take action if you have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive. Fill out this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan so you can be ready to speak with a healthcare professional about PAXLOVID.

Download the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan

Be prepared for COVID-19.

If you’re at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, it’s important to be ready to take action if you have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive. Fill out this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan so you can be ready to speak with a healthcare professional about PAXLOVID.

Download the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan

How to verify your tablets are authentic

PAXLOVID must be prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional and supplied by a government-approved pharmacy or medical facility.

Authentic PAXLOVID, from Pfizer Inc., will include the Pfizer name on the label and will be packaged in 5 aluminum push-through blister cards. Individual doses are not for sale. PAXLOVID will be packaged in a rectangular carton. The carton has a colorless, glossy coating that contains a repeated pattern of the Pfizer name and logo all over, and these repeating features are seen in a contrasting matte finish.

PAXLOVID consists of tablets for a 5-day oral treatment regimen, with morning and evening doses.

NOTE: If you are a patient with moderate kidney disease, you may receive a carton with daily blister cards that have been modified to ensure you receive the correct dose.

To help determine whether the tablets are authentic, look for specific text on each side of the tablets

Tablet Embossed Text
nirmatrelvir Front: 3CL | Back: PFE
ritonavir, manufactured by AbbVie Front: NK | Back: No text
ritonavir, manufactured by Hetero Front: H | Back: R9

Pfizer is committed to patient safety and ensuring that people have accurate information about the investigational drug PAXLOVID, including how it is accessed and administered. We are actively monitoring for fraudulent offers of illegitimate PAXLOVID to protect patients from products that might be dangerous and lead to serious and life-threatening harm.

If you suspect the product you have received may be counterfeit, contact us at 1-800-438-1985 or visit www.pfizersafetyreporting.com.

For more information

Contact one of the following groups:

For medical information visit www.pfizermedicalinformation.com or call 1-800-438-1985

For general product inquiries call 1-877-C19PACK (1-877-219-7225)

Important Safety Information

Expand

Before taking PAXLOVID, tell your healthcare provider if you:

  • Have any allergies, liver or kidney disease, or any serious illness;
  • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding a child

Some medicines may interact with PAXLOVID and may cause serious side effects.

  • Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
  • Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take PAXLOVID with other medicines.
  • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with PAXLOVID.
  • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking combined hormonal contraceptive.

PAXLOVID may affect how your birth control pills work. People who are able to become pregnant should use another or an alternative effective form of contraception.

Take PAXLOVID exactly as your HCP tells you.

If you take too much PAXLOVID, call your HCP or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. If you are taking a ritonavir – or cobicistat-containing medicine for hepatitis C or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continue to take your medicine as prescribed.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not feel better or if you feel worse after 5 days.

Do not take PAXLOVID if:

  • You are allergic to nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, or any of the ingredients in PAXLOVID or are taking any of the following medicines:
    • alfuzosin
    • amiodarone
    • apalutamide
    • carbamazepine
    • colchicine
    • dihydroergotamine
    • dronedarone
    • eletriptan
    • eplerenone
    • ergotamine
    • finerenone
    • flecainide
    • flibanserin
    • ivabradine
    • lomitapide
    • lovastatin
    • lumacaftor/ivacaftor
    • lurasidone
    • methylergonovine
    • midazolam (oral)
    • naloxegol
    • phenobarbital
    • phenytoin
    • pimozide
    • primidone
    • propafenone
    • quinidine
    • ranolazine
    • rifampin
    • St. John’s Wort (hypericum perforatum)
    • sildenafil (Revatio®) for pulmonary arterial hypertension
    • silodosin
    • simvastatin
    • tolvaptan
    • triazolam
    • ubrogepant
    • voclosporin

Taking PAXLOVID with these medicines may cause serious or life-threatening side effects or affect how PAXLOVID works. These are not the only medicines that may cause serious side effects if taken with PAXLOVID. PAXLOVID may increase or decrease the levels of multiple other medicines. It is very important to tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you are taking because additional laboratory tests or changes in the dose of your other medicines may be necessary while you are taking PAXLOVID. Your healthcare provider may also tell you about specific symptoms to watch out for that may indicate that you need to stop or decrease the dose of some of your other medicines.

Possible side effects of PAXLOVID are:

  • Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions, including severe allergic reactions (known as ‘anaphylaxis’), can happen in people taking PAXLOVID, even after only 1 dose. Stop taking PAXLOVID and call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
    • hives
    • trouble swallowing or breathing
    • swelling of the mouth, lips, or face
    • hoarseness
    • throat tightness
    • skin rash
  • Liver Problems. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of liver problems (loss of appetite, yellowing of your skin and the whites of eyes (jaundice), dark-colored urine, pale-colored stools and itchy skin, or stomach area (abdominal) pain.)
  • Resistance to HIV Medicines. If you have untreated HIV infection, PAXLOVID may lead to some HIV medicines not working as well in the future.
  • Other possible side effects include:
    • altered sense of taste
    • diarrhea
    • high blood pressure
    • muscle aches
    • abdominal pain
    • nausea
    • feeling generally unwell

These are not all the possible side effects of PAXLOVID. Serious and unexpected side effects may happen. PAXLOVID is still being studied, so it is possible that all risks are not known at this time.

There is no experience treating pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers with PAXLOVID. For a mother and unborn baby, the benefit of taking PAXLOVID may be greater than the risk from the treatment. It is recommended that you use effective barrier contraception or do not have sexual activity while taking PAXLOVID. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss your options and specific situation with your healthcare provider.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away. Report side effects or problems with the appearance or packaging of PAXLOVID to FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-10881-800-FDA-1088, or you can report side effects to Pfizer Inc. at www.pfizersafetyreporting.com, by fax at 1-866-635-83371-866-635-8337, or by calling 1-800-438-19851-800-438-1985.

Please see Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers and Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents, and Caregivers.

AUTHORIZED USE

The FDA has authorized the emergency use of PAXLOVID for the treatment of adults and children [12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kg)] with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, under an EUA.

PAXLOVID is still being studied. There is limited information about the safety and effectiveness of PAXLOVID.

AUTHORIZED USE

The FDA has authorized the emergency use of PAXLOVID for the treatment of adults and children [12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kg)] with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, under an EUA.

PAXLOVID is still being studied. There is limited information about the safety and effectiveness of PAXLOVID.

Important Safety Information

Before taking PAXLOVID, tell your healthcare provider if you:

  • Have any allergies, liver or kidney disease, or any serious illness;
  • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding a child

Some medicines may interact with PAXLOVID and may cause serious side effects.

  • Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
  • Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take PAXLOVID with other medicines.
  • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with PAXLOVID.
  • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking combined hormonal contraceptive.

PAXLOVID may affect how your birth control pills work. People who are able to become pregnant should use another or an alternative effective form of contraception.

Take PAXLOVID exactly as your HCP tells you.

If you take too much PAXLOVID, call your HCP or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. If you are taking a ritonavir – or cobicistat-containing medicine for hepatitis C or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continue to take your medicine as prescribed.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not feel better or if you feel worse after 5 days.

Do not take PAXLOVID if:

  • You are allergic to nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, or any of the ingredients in PAXLOVID or are taking any of the following medicines:
    • alfuzosin
    • amiodarone
    • apalutamide
    • carbamazepine
    • colchicine
    • dihydroergotamine
    • dronedarone
    • eletriptan
    • eplerenone
    • ergotamine
    • finerenone
    • flecainide
    • flibanserin
    • ivabradine
    • lomitapide
    • lovastatin
    • lumacaftor/ivacaftor
    • lurasidone
    • methylergonovine
    • midazolam (oral)
    • naloxegol
    • phenobarbital
    • phenytoin
    • pimozide
    • primidone
    • propafenone
    • quinidine
    • ranolazine
    • rifampin
    • St. John’s Wort (hypericum perforatum)
    • sildenafil (Revatio®) for pulmonary arterial hypertension
    • silodosin
    • simvastatin
    • tolvaptan
    • triazolam
    • ubrogepant
    • voclosporin

Taking PAXLOVID with these medicines may cause serious or life-threatening side effects or affect how PAXLOVID works. These are not the only medicines that may cause serious side effects if taken with PAXLOVID. PAXLOVID may increase or decrease the levels of multiple other medicines. It is very important to tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you are taking because additional laboratory tests or changes in the dose of your other medicines may be necessary while you are taking PAXLOVID. Your healthcare provider may also tell you about specific symptoms to watch out for that may indicate that you need to stop or decrease the dose of some of your other medicines.

Possible side effects of PAXLOVID are:

  • Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions, including severe allergic reactions (known as ‘anaphylaxis’), can happen in people taking PAXLOVID, even after only 1 dose. Stop taking PAXLOVID and call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
    • hives
    • trouble swallowing or breathing
    • swelling of the mouth, lips, or face
    • hoarseness
    • throat tightness
    • skin rash
  • Liver Problems. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of liver problems (loss of appetite, yellowing of your skin and the whites of eyes (jaundice), dark-colored urine, pale-colored stools and itchy skin, or stomach area (abdominal) pain.)
  • Resistance to HIV Medicines. If you have untreated HIV infection, PAXLOVID may lead to some HIV medicines not working as well in the future.
  • Other possible side effects include:
    • altered sense of taste
    • diarrhea
    • high blood pressure
    • muscle aches
    • abdominal pain
    • nausea
    • feeling generally unwell

These are not all the possible side effects of PAXLOVID. Serious and unexpected side effects may happen. PAXLOVID is still being studied, so it is possible that all risks are not known at this time.

There is no experience treating pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers with PAXLOVID. For a mother and unborn baby, the benefit of taking PAXLOVID may be greater than the risk from the treatment. It is recommended that you use effective barrier contraception or do not have sexual activity while taking PAXLOVID. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss your options and specific situation with your healthcare provider.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away. Report side effects or problems with the appearance or packaging of PAXLOVID to FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-10881-800-FDA-1088, or you can report side effects to Pfizer Inc. at www.pfizersafetyreporting.com, by fax at 1-866-635-83371-866-635-8337, or by calling 1-800-438-19851-800-438-1985.

Please see Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers and Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents, and Caregivers.

CLOSE

AUTHORIZED USE

The FDA has authorized the emergency use of PAXLOVID for the treatment of adults and children [12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kg)] with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, under an EUA.

PAXLOVID is still being studied. There is limited information about the safety and effectiveness of PAXLOVID.